Speakers
Lucien Parsons, Fractional COO, OpsCat
Lucien Parsons is an operations and investment strategist in the games industry, known for aligning creative vision with financial discipline. He co-founded ZeniMax Online Studios (Bethesda), led global games partnerships at AWS, sold a venture to Gartner, and helped scale or restructure multiple startups—some successful, some instructive. As a fractional COO and advisor, he brings a pragmatic, systems-driven approach to product, team, and go-to-market strategy for companies navigating launch and growth phases. Lucien's work focuses on monetization strategy, business models, product/market fit, and funding readiness. He has advised founders, joined boards, and helped secure millions in revenue and investment. As AWS's Global Games Partner Leader, he built a worldwide ecosystem of over 300 partners, generating hundreds of millions in cloud and service revenue. He also chaired the IGDA, championing sustainable and inclusive careers in games. With degrees from Wharton (MBA) and Johns Hopkins (MA, International Economics), and certifications in Scrum and cloud infrastructure, Lucien blends creative insight with operational rigor. He frequently speaks on the future of games, immersive tech, and the intersection of virtual and physical worlds, and continues to support emerging studios with hands-on execution and strategic guidance.